Factors of Creation of Nationalism Essay -- Political Science

â€Å"It is nationalism which engenders nations, and not the other way round.† Such words were written by prominent social anthropologist Ernest Gellner in his work Nations and Nationalism (1983). Nationalism can be defined as a person or group’s loyalty and support for their nation, whatever that nation may be. This brings to light a very troublesome and tortuous subject. Expressed simply as Nationalism, this being is very controversial, many hailing it as a propitious concept, while others putting it down and viewing it in animosity. But what is more controversial & more complex would be the establishment of such. What effects its creation? What factors develop it? And what factors affect it the most? As with the topic of beauty, War, or Religion, nationalism and its roots are a again, a being of much controversy. Constantly being argued upon, assumptions of nationalism’s creation ranges from it being solely created upon historic, religious, social, geographical, and economical factors, or any combination(s) of the factors stated. An example of an argument which supports History as being the primary (and possibly the only) source of nationalism is prevalent within Margret Macmillan’s work The Uses and Abuses of History (2009) where she states that â€Å"History provides much of the fuel for Nationalism† and that the â€Å"celebration of the nation’s great achievements—and the shared sorrow at its defeats—sustain and foster it.† What she fails to mention is that there is more to development of nationalism than just history. Through my eyes it is evident that Professor Macmillan hasn’t fully grasped the depth, or simply has ig nored the other factors of nationalism. In respect to a nation and its nationalism, history has a major impact on its... ...D=567>. "French Revolution (1787-99) -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia." Encyclopedia - Britannica Online Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Mar. 2012. . "Lecture 11: The Origins of the French Revolution." The History Guide -- Main. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2012. . MacMillan, Margaret. The uses and abuses of history. Toronto: Penguin Canada, 2009. Print. Sebesta, Edward , and Euan Hague. "The US Civil War as a Theological War: Confederate Christian Nationalism and the League of the South." 22 (2002): 253-271. Print. "The Reformation." History Learning Site. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2012. . Gellner, Ernest . Nations and Nationalism. 1983. Reprint. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2006. Print.